Black and Teal
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Coloring with Teal: Curses, Foiled Again!

By jamesltracyjr

Zeus attacks Ancient Greek Jacksonville Jaguars in retaliation for defeating Miami Dolphin demigod Danus Marinosk in 2000 B.C. Public domain image modified for comic effect.
Zeus attacks Ancient Greek Jacksonville Jaguars in retaliation for defeating Miami Dolphin demigod Danus Marinosk in 2000 B.C. Public domain image modified for comic effect. /
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Newly-acquire Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Jalen Ramsey has torn a meniscus during practice, raising spectre of a Jaguars Curse.

The Jacksonville Jaguars 2016 first-round draft pick, Jalen Ramsey, has an “owie.” He’s not the first First Rounder on a Jaguars team to have suffered a significant injury, and this has prompted some editorials on whether or not the Jaguars are “cursed.”

This situation is creating a conflict within me. The burgeoning scientist inside wants to be practical and say “Psshh! That’s absurd!” while my, I guess you’d call it “spiritual” side, wants to point to the undeniable pattern over the past several years.

Today, for fun, I’ll stifle Mr. Boring and we’ll entertain the possibility of a curse.

Shortly after the news broke on our new prized cornerback, my esteemed colleague, Luke Sims, supposed and then dismissed the possibility of a curse gripping the Jags. In his article, he pointed out LT Luke Joeckel, DE Dante Fowler, and Ramsey, and he lumped them under general manager Dave Caldwell’s tenure. However, there is more than meets the eye, and stretches beyond this mere four-season window and current GM.

Here’s a quick look at our first-round(ish) challenges over the past several years:

2016 – Jalen Ramsey — “Small” meniscus tear in early team activities. Question: what is “small?”

2015 – Dante Fowler — Torn ACL on first action in early team activities.

2014 – Marqise Lee — Struggled with lingering hamstring injury throughout rookie season. Not a first rounder, but recognized as a “first round talent”.

2013 – Luke Joeckel — Broke ankle in first game action at “natural” position of left tackle.

2012 – Justin Blackmon — No injury during rookie season, but he must have done something misguided during that season which led to four-game suspension to start the 2013 season. Rumor has it that the team knew well before the draft that year that the suspension was coming, and suspensions only get issued for repeated offenses. Officially a “bust” by now.

2011 – Blaine Gabbert — Toe injury on plant foot, in addition to porous O-line (40 sacks) and eventual coaching chaos, played major role in his struggles. There are other factors, but let’s keep our eye on the ball.

Sep 30, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (93) before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Everbank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (93) before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Everbank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

2010 – Tyson Alualu — Suffered a knee injury which eventually required microfracture surgery in 2012. Played his rookie season, but fans felt he underperformed. Surprise factoid: named to “All-Rookie Teams” by three prominent publications.

Prior to 2010, there wasn’t anything in the way of injuries which led to struggles with our team’s successes. Instead, it was poor roster management and a series of coaching staff changes which contributed to our drought.

“One of the Football Gods has been basically flicking us in the ear ever since 2010.”

But we have to wonder: is there something supernaturally affecting our beloved franchise?

In 2007, Scout.com published an article discussing the “Curse of Marino”, in which it is argued that it was the 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars’ 62-7 defeat of Dan the Man which led to the team’s struggles. To embarrass an all-time great in such a way, it says, angered the Football Gods. These vengeful beings have retaliated by suffering the Jags on an endless journey through the NFL wilderness of self-befuddlement.

However, how long is this supposed to go on? It turns out that most franchises have 5-6 season dry spells, but rarely has any franchise gone more than a decade between winning seasons, let alone making the playoffs.

It is noteworthy that our 2000-2010 struggles were personnel/staff-based, whereas the last five seasons have been (largely) injury-based. It’s as though the Jaguars served some ethereal sentence which ended in 2010, but then one of the Football Gods got drunk and has been basically flicking us in the ear ever since.

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If (you know, a “big” IF) this is what has been giving us our troubles, I propose one of two solutions. First, Gus Bradley needs to coach to s-word out of this team, and get us a winning season. Besides, Dave Caldwell already gave us a “Get Out Of Fail Free” card when he said that relying on rookies to make or break a season is risky. Besides, the team did a lot of work on the defensive side with the free agency as well as with the rest of the draft. And, since it hasn’t been typed enough this offseason, the defense is getting Dante Fowler back, too.

Second, someone needs to sacrifice a football with Dan Marino’s autograph on it at the 50-yard line of Everbank Field.  If we do it soon, the grass will have grown back by the first preseason game.

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